The Rosary of

Our Motherof Sorrows

Kerygmathe initial gospel proclamation designed to introduce a

person to Christ and to appeal for conversion

Catechesismore extensive doctrinal, sacramental, and moral teaching and

instruction in the Faith that a person receives once he has accepted the kerygma and has been baptized

Mystagogyto initiate into the mystery of Christ by proceeding

from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the "sacraments" to the "mysteries."

The Face as Radiantas the Sun

To look upon the face of Christ, to recognize its mystery amid the daily

events and the sufferings of his human life, and then to grasp the divine

splendor definitively revealed in the Risen Lord, seated in glory at the

right hand of the Father.

Mary, Model of Contemplation

The contemplation of Christ has an incomparable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son

belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving

from her a human resemblance which points to an even greater spiritual

closeness..

Mary’s Gaze

Mary's gaze, ever filled with adoration and wonder, it would

always be a penetrating gaze, one capable of deeply understanding

Jesus, even to the point of perceiving his hidden feelings and

anticipating his decisions.

The Rosary, a Contemplative Prayer

The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary's own experience,

is an exquisitely contemplative prayer, focusing on the life of

Christ. With the Our Mother of Sorrows Rosary, the focus is on

the life of Mary. Both are prayed through the experience of Mary.

Meditation on the Mysteries

The recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering

pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the

Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches

of these mysteries are disclosed.

Remembering Christ with Mary

Mary's contemplation is above all a remembering… the biblical sense

of remembrance as a making present of the works brought

about by God in the history of salvation.

Ceaseless Prayer

By immersing us in the mysteries of the Redeemer's life, (or Mary’s life) it ensures that what he (she)

has done and what the liturgy makes present is profoundly assimilated and shapes our

existence.

Understanding His Message

Contemplating the scenes of the Rosary in union with Mary is a means of learning from her to “read” Christ (or Mary), to

discover his (her) secrets and to understand his (her) message.

Conformed to Christ with Mary

In the spiritual journey of the Rosary, based on the constant

contemplation – in Mary's company – of the face of Christ (Mary), this

demanding ideal of being conformed to Christ is pursued through an

association which could be described in terms of friendship.

Rosary of Our Mother of Sorrows